There's a Time and a Place
by StealerOfDreams
Summary: When the Doctor, Rose and Captain Jack visit a planet, Jack starts experiencing strange symptoms which lead to larger problems. 9Rose. HOLY TARDIS BATMAN, AN UPDATE.
1. Break From the World

**Chapter One – A Break From The World**

"So where are we going again?" She queried, as the Doctor rushed around pressing buttons in the TARDIS.

"I told you, Hexatoraquadriactalblathereen II in the Colat system." He said in his know-it-all tone of voice. "Hold that lever down would you?"

Rose rolled her eyes and reached toward the lever he had implied.

"You're such a know-it-all." She commented. "You make me feel like I have the intelligence of…."

"Jack?" He offered.

She laughed. "Not exactly the term I was looking for…"

"No I mean, Jack!" He grinned and pointed.

Rose looked up to see that Jack had entered the room. Dressed in his jeans and plain t-shirt, he looked the same as ever. Except for a large cowboy hat sitting snugly on his head…

"Er…" She shot the Doctor a look as he continued running around the console pushing buttons. "Nice hat."

"Thanks," he said as he made a face at her. "So, what did I miss?" Jack glanced at the both of them with a devilish grin on his face as he removed the hat and left it on a console.

"I was just commenting on the Doctor's Know-it-all-ism." She replied, greeting him with a quick smile.

"That's not really a word you know," Jack smirked.

"You're as bad as him!" Rose screeched at Jack who had come up to stand next to her. He put his hands on her shoulders and winked at her. "And don't you love me for it?"

She was about to form some witty response when the TARDIS launched into motion. She and Jack were immediately flung against the wall, soon followed by the Doctor who slammed into Jack, knocking them both to the floor.

As the Doctor picked himself up off Jack, then immediately fell back down as the TARDIS lurched into a landing. The Captain raised an eyebrow at the Doctor and shot "Doctor, not while the ladies watching!"

He grunted a response as he got up, also helping a laughing Rose up off the floor.

"So, did we land in the right place this time?" Rose was still giggling. "Because the last time you missed we ended up landing us nine years later in Cardiff where we got chased by a bunch of dead people."

Jack gave her a questioning look and Rose mouthed "Tell you later." He grinned in response and followed the Doctor to check out the information screen.

Her question was answered by the large grin from the Doctor. "Exactly where I predicted!" He gave Rose another I'm-So-Clever look. "Lets go then!" Jack exclaimed. He and The Doctor exchanged a look then linked their arms through Rose's, then half dragged, half carried Rose out of the TARDIS. She squealed as they lifted her over the threshold. As she took her first few steps on this new planet, she gasped at what she saw.

It was definitely the most beautiful planet the Doctor had ever taken her too. They had landed near the coast, with a long beach of white sand and sparkly pink water.

"Is it safe?" Rose questioned Jack.

"What, The water?" He checked a scan on his wrist device that he wore everywhere. "Oxygen and Hydrogen levels normal…" He grinned. "Perfectly safe." He glanced at the Doctor for confirmation, who nodded. "Just… pink" he replied.

"So, what are we waiting for?" Rose questioned. "Lets go swimming!"

After a quick change in the TARDIS wardrobe, Rose ran down to the beach where The Doctor and Jack were waiting. Jack was already in the water, his discarded t-shirt left on the sand. He was trying, unsuccessfully, to convince the Doctor to join him. The Doctor stood on the sand in bare feet, still wearing his trademark leather jacket, shaking his head and laughing at Jacks feeble attempts.

When Jack spotted Rose she saw a twinkle in his eye. She winked back at him and crept up behind the Doctor. Before he realised what was happening, The Doctor was shoved into the water. Jack burst into hysterics as the sodding Doctor stood up and tried to shake the water out of his leather jacker. He looked up at Rose and said "Oh I'll get you for that"

She screamed as she ran down the beach away from him and Jack roared with laughter. Unknowing that something was watching them beneath the surface… I mean, what sort of Doctor Who fan fiction would it be if there wasn't?

Jack was having the time of his life. This must be the first time he'd had so much fun since the time he conned a space traveller into buying a 20th century harmonica by convincing him that it could…

Jacks train of thought drifted away as he lay next to Rose and the Doctor on the sand. He sat up and grinned down at Rose, who looked troubled.

"What's the matter Rosie?" He queried as he poked her in the stomach.

"Oi!" She sat up and smiled back at him. They glanced at the Doctor who appeared to be dozing in the sand. "Ha, never sleeps my ass!"

"So…? You look unhappy Rose."

"Its just…" She paused. "Something doesn't feel right. I don't think me and the Doctor have ever had an outing where we didn't get chased around by some Slitheen, Gelth or Dalek."

"Or The Mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe?" She smiled at that.

"Don't Worry Rose, I'll protect you" His grin became wider, if that was possible. "The only thing YOU have to worry about is THIS!"

And with that he picked her up and carried her off to the water. "JACK!" She screeched and pounded his back with her fists. With a big splash he dropped Rose into the water and splashed in after her.

As they stood up in the water they were laughing so hard they were finding it hard to stop themselves falling over. Rose crawled up out of the water back onto the ledge that was the beach. A strange beach really, Jack thought. Pink and all… Lost in thought again he joined Rose in the shallows and they looked out across the water.

"It's so beautiful," She murmured, so quietly he had to strain to hear her.

"Yes, It is." He said glancing at her. She grinned back. "No flirting on holiday Harkness!"

He held up his hands and gave her an innocent offended look. "Flirting? Me? Never!"

"Yeah sure" She snorted and glanced over at the Doctor and gave Jack a cheeky smile, "Think we should wake him up?" She scooped up and handful of water and started sneaking over to where the Doctor was snoring away. He grinned and turned his attention back to the water. A shadow was moving underneath the pinkish surface… He frowned and leaned forward to get a better look.

He only managed to yell one word before he was dragged under. "ROSE!"


	2. A Missing Captain

**Chapter Two – A Missing Captain**

The Doctor woke with a start as a handful of water was dumped on his face. He looked up and saw Rose standing over him… then she wasn't. He sat up and saw she'd ran back to the ledge. But where was Jack?

The Doctor ran over to her and put his hands on her shoulder.

"Where's Jack?" He questioned forcefully. She was sobbing, and looking like she was about to dive in the water.

"I dunno…" she was looking extremely distressed now. "He was here, and then he just, wasn't!"

The Doctor saw the ripples forming on the water. "Wait here Rose!" He yelled as he pulled off his leather jacket and plunged into the water.

Eerie. That was the word the Doctor would've used if he had to describe the underwater depths. It was pink. And Pink scared him like it did all men…

Jack! Jack was there… struggling against an invisible demon that seemed to be holding him to the bottom of the ocean floor. As the Doctor swam closer, he could see a faint glow around Jack, that seemed to be penetrating anything it could, his eyes, his ears, and his mouth.

He reached Jack and pulled him up as hard as he could. Jack tried to aid the effort, but he was obviously weakening in the iron clutches of this invisible foe.

It must've decided that taking on two full-grown men wasn't worth the effort, because suddenly Jack was floating freely and was no longer being held down.

The Doctor gripped Jack and kicked his legs as fast as he could. They broke through the surface and both started gasping large amounts of air.

"Doctor!" Rose reached her hands out to help pull Jack out of the water. In truth, he looked like he was about to lose consciousness.

After managing to get him ashore, spluttering up large amounts of water, and giving the Doctor a look over, Jack managed to say: "You know Doctor, you'd make a great entrant in a wet t-shirt competition." The Doctor and Rose gave each other a look. "So, no more beach holidays then?" Joked Rose.

Back in the TARDIS, the Doctor was looking Jack over in the medical bay. It was hard enough to work with his violent shaking, let alone his insistence that he was fine.

"No, You're not." Barked the Doctor, as he put another blanket around Jacks shoulders.

The Captain seemed to cave, accepting the Doctor's statement, or just being too tired to argue anymore, and allowed him to examine him. Rose gasped as the Doctor lifted Jacks shirt and saw the damage.

There was an exceptionally large bruise on his chest, which suggested that the invisible demon had cracked or broken a few of his ribs. Smaller purple bruises ran up his side and down his arms. When the Doctor rolled up his pant legs, there were more nasty looking bruises. Jack winced as the Doctor inspected his ribs. "I don't think their broken, but it looks like a few might be cracked." He said solemnly.

"Are those fingermarks?" Rose looked on in shock.

"That's just what I need." Jack shivered. "An invisible alien who's a bit too frisky."

At that time Jack decided it was time to throw up some more water. "Sorry, think I ruined your shoes Doctor," he muttered as his eyes closed. Then he lost consciousness.

After leaving Jack in his room covered in a million blankets, Rose walked back into the TARDIS control room, looking for the Doctor. Rose was concerned. Not just for Jack, but for the Doctor as well. Every time something happened to them, he blamed himself. And this was no different.

"I shouldn't have been asleep," He muttered under his breath.

"Like it would've made a difference if you were awake?" Rose said coldly. Then her tone warmed, "You saved him Doctor. You saved him from drowning, and you can bet he'll be bloody thankful when he wakes up. That is, after that speech about he could've taken it on with one hand tied behind his back," She joked.

"But what if it had been you?" He whispered. "You know I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you Rose…" He trailed off.

"Then you would've saved me faster." She grinned. "Or I would've haunted you for all eternity."

He looked into her eyes and grinned in return. "Thanks"

She returned the smile "Anytime, Mr Know-it-all."

The Doctor gave her a shocked expression and poked her in the ribs. "For your information, most women think clever men are sexy."

"And what planet are these women from?" Rose raised her eyebrows at him. "The natives of planet Hexatoraquadripancake- oh that's worse then Raxacoricofallapotorius! What's next… supercalifragilisticexpialidocious?"

"No, that's in the Nutrene system" The Doctor laughed as Rose's eyes widened.

"What, there's really a planet named after a quote from Merry Poppins?" She said in an I-Don't-Quite-Believe-You tone of voice.

"Who do you think funded the movie?" And he laughed again as she stared at him in disbelief. "Look at you, maybe I should wait before till I tell you about The Lion King"


	3. Strange Results

**Chapter Three – Strange Results**

When Jack woke, he found himself in his bed. He sat up and grimaced; he could really feel those bruises now.

"Awake are we?" A cheerful voice sang from the doorway.

"Rose." He grinned. Which he also immediately regretted… even his face hurt.

She came over to his bed and sat down next to him.

"You had us worried for a minute there." She said and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"I think I had myself a little worried there Rose." She wasn't quite sure what the look in his eyes was… but she could've sworn it was humour. "I thought I was going to die down at the bottom of that… extremely pink ocean." He raised a bruised eyebrow.

"But Captain Jack Harkness lives to see another day" She said, with a sad smile on her lips. "And you didn't have to die at the bottom of a "pink" ocean" she said playfully and tickled him under the arm.

"Argh!" he sat up and started attacking Rose. I'll get you for that Rose Tyler!"

They were both screaming with laughter when the Doctor walked past the door. He stood there for a minute, a smile on his lips.

Later the Doctor passed Jack's room again; both humans had fallen asleep on the Captain's bed with smiles on their faces. He couldn't stop himself grinning again, as he picked up the blankets off the floor and threw them over the two. He kissed Rose on the cheek and ruffled Jack's hair before he left the room, laughing at the enormous snort Jack let out.

Rose woke to see the Doctor leaving the room; she could still feel his lips on her skin. She reached her hand up to touch her cheek, and glanced over at the sleeping figure next to her. She gave him a slight smile, and then joined him in a peaceful sleep.

When Rose woke again, she was alone. She looked around the room confused, as the events of the day before returned to her. She jumped as Jack bounced into the room with a grin on his face and a mug in his hand. "Gooooooooooooood Morning!" He exclaimed.

"Argh… what's so good about it?" She muttered as she tried to stretch out the crick in her neck. "Mmm is that tea?" She closed her eyes and breathed in the vigorous aroma.

"Only the very finest for my Rose," Grinned Jack as he set mug down beside her and plonked down on the bed.

"You know I really should be getting you tea." Rose smirked. "After all, you were the one who nearly drowned."

Jack grimaced. "You don't have to tell me twice, I've still got all those bruises as a souvenir."

"The Doctor?" Rose questioned as she sipped her tea. _Mmmmm_

"Still brooding in the bat cave, better know as the control room." Jack gave her a half smile. "As he always does after one of our little and increasingly often near-death situations."

"Hmm we really should chat to him about that brooding," She teased.

"Well maybe you can." Confessed Jack. "This morning when I approached him he was look so preoccupied with whatever he was thinking that he got so surprised that he nearly skewered me with his sonic screwdriver."

Rose let out a laugh at the thought.

"Maybe I should go talk to him." She said half-heartedly. "You know, pull him out of his Leave-Me-Alone-I-Need-to-Brood-In-Peace mood." She set down her mug and got up out of bed. "Coming Captain?" She grinned and held out a hand to Jack. He held up his hands in surrender and sighed. "Fine, but I'm standing at a safe distance."

Then they ran off towards the control room hand in hand.

The Doctor was deep in thought when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He jumped about a mile and spun around to find Rose, not-so-closely followed by Jack.

"Rose!" He exclaimed. "You shouldn't sneak up on people."

"Yeah." Grumbled Jack. "Especially not nine hundred Year old Timelords who'd stab you with a sonic screwdriver when they get interrupted in their brooding cycle."

"Ha-ha. Funny." The Doctor said sarcastically, as he started tinkering with some of the controls on the TARDIS. Jack, finally deciding it was safe now that the Doctor was unlikely to impaled him on anything, jumped up to join them next to the main TARDIS console.

"What you up to?" he questioned the Doctor as he had continued trying to make himself look busy.

"The old girls been due for a service for awhile," He grunted in reply as Jack patted the console much like he would a pet.

Rose glared at Jack. "Yeah, we were meaning to talk to you about…" Then the TARDIS gave an almighty shudder throwing her off balance into Jacks arms.

"Whoops." Grinned the Doctor. "Must've pressed the wrong button somewhere…"

"You did that on purpose!" Rose said and punched the Doctor in the shoulder.

"I'd never do such a thing!" He said with an innocent look as he rubbed his shoulder. "And you're vicious you are. What's with you Tyler's'…"

Jack grinned at the argument, '_Arguing again,' _He thought. '_Back to normality… Well as normal as normality gets on a Time and Relative Dimension in Space machine with an teenage English girl, a 51st century ex-time agent and a 900 year old alien from who knows where….'_

His thoughts were cut off as a confused look fell across his face, because he suddenly felt like he'd had on too many tequilas.

"Er..." he managed to say before he stumbled back, banged his head on the console and fell to the floor. Rose and the Doctor spun around and rushed to kneel by the fallen Captain.

"Ouch." He muttered as he rubbed the back of his head.

"It was just a dizzy spell." Jack insisted as a concerned looking Doctor helped him up off the floor. "But why are you upside down?" He said confused, then he realised he'd fallen to the floor again.

"Rose, help me get him to the TARDIS infirmary, will you?" he faintly heard the Doctor say. "He certainly can't walk there on his own two feet." Jack wondered why he sounded so worried. He was fine… He tried to say he was fine, that he didn't need to go to the infirmary, but before he could voice his thoughts he lost consciousness again. He remembered thinking '_Damn… Not again…_' before he succumbed.

"What's wrong with him, Doctor?" Rose questioned as she cast a worried look at Jack who was sleeping fitfully on one of the infirmary beds. She bought a damp cloth to his face to try and wipe some of the perspiration off, but as soon as she did, more beads of sweat just replaced them.

The Doctor had just taken a blood sample, and was just waiting for the results from the TARDIS mainframe. When something in a different language that Rose couldn't read popped up on the information screen, she questioned, "Well, what does it say? What's wrong with him?"

The Doctor quickly read and shook his head. "No… That can't be right." He murmured. He tried to run the scan again, and the same results popped up. Well Rose assumed they did by the Doctors frustrated expression. He punched the wall confused, and then apologised to his TARDIS who flicked her lights in discomfort.

"What is it Doctor?" She repeated. "What does it say?"

"It says…" His brow furrowed. "It says he's having an allergic reaction."

"An allergic reaction? I didn't know he was allergic to anything."

"No neither did I…" The Doctor trailed off, "But this… It's impossible."

"Doctor!" She shook him. "What is it?" She almost had to slap him. "Doctor!"

The Doctor looked at her with cold, dark eyes that scared her.

Then he muttered something so quietly that she almost had to ask him to repeat. She was shocked as she realised what he had said.

"Time, Rose. It says he's allergic to time."


	4. The Truth Hurts

_Okay…. Sorry for the really short chapter but i think the plot bunnies abandoned me for a better tasting carrot. Thanks for reading this far__ and thanks to Toplesslemon for being my beta._

* * *

_Okay… Maybe not so fine then. _Jack thought to himself. He continued his masquerade that he was still asleep while he thought over the Doctors diagnosis. _'Right… One… how is it even possible to be allergic to time? What the hell is that about? And Two… how do we fix this...'_ But he could not voice his questions though in case there was nothing to be done…. _No. You're a survivor Jack. You've been through worse things then this… Can't think of any right now but I'm sure there was… Like that time in 3047 when that elderly couple tried to sacrifice you along with that goat…_

_No. This was worse. This wasn't something he could get out of… Not something he could fix…_

_Time Allergy? What the hell? That wasn't there yesterday… He was a time agent for goodness sake… well an Ex time agent. He travelled through time everyday, was this a long run thing or did it just appear? _So many questions, with no way to get answers.

Tears of frustration were threatening to appear. But Captain Jack doesn't cry. Jack is strong…

Noticing that Rose and the Doctor were no longer in the room, the ex-time agent got up and slid his bare feet to the floor.

"What are we going to tell Jack?" Rose worriedly asked the Doctor who was hurrying around the TARDIS console pushing buttons and flipping levers. "And where are we going?"

"Back to the planet where our problems started." The Doctor said pointedly.

"What, you mean Hexajaba- Oh I'm not even going to try."

"That's the one." After that there was silence in the TARDIS control room.

"Doctor how could this happen?" Rose interrupted the silence with her voiced thoughts.

"Rose, at the moment I only have theories, and none of them make very much sense."

"Humour me."

"Alright. One, the invisible creature somehow managed to steal his time, Two, Pink really IS evil and the ocean did something to him, which would mean we are likely to experience symptoms as well, or Three, this is something he has had within him all along and has somehow been triggered by something…"

The Doctor trailed off with Rose's glare and went back to flipping switches that really didn't need to be flipped.

"What are we going to do once we get there?" Rose questioned him angrily. "Wander around till we find invisible demons who try to kill us, or better yet, wait to see whether we get sick as well?" The Doctor flinched at her tone and muttered something under his breath.

Rose sighed and came to stand by his side. "Im sorry" She said, placing a hand on his back. "I just feel really helpless. What if he's dying Doctor?" Tears started streaming down her face.

"We'll find a way Rose." The Doctor enveloped Rose in his arms and kissed her on the forehead. "We'll find a way." Rose looked up into his blue eyes, and saw so many emotions flittering past. This was just like Gallifrey again, his friend, his family, was suffering, and there was nothing he could do about it. Jack's situation was making Rose realise that life wasn't always as long as you might expect it. It was full of twists and turns and the result might not always be a happy one. So she did something she'd been waiting for for a long time.

The Doctor was startled when Rose kissed him.

Jack stumbled through the TARDIS corridors, unsure of where he was trying to go. He swore the TARDIS was moving the corridors around to lead him back to the Medibay. Well tough. He came to another junction and stopped. "What am i doing?" he asked himself aloud.

He went left.

The Doctor's response was cut short when the TARDIS landed. They were both thrown to the floor in a pile.

"We should check on Jack..." The Doctor breathed.

"Uh huh…" Rose said, her eyes locked on his. Then as sudden as it started, the trance was broken and they remembered where they were. "Yep." Rose tried to sound confident.

Rose quickly left the Doctor behind and walked towards the Infirmary. The TARDIS was unsettled, Rose knew she was worried about Jack as well. As she turned the corner, she wondered what she would say to Jack. That she was sorry? Sorry she'd been busy with the Doctor instead of looking for something to help? She knew that Jack encouraged the relationship between her and the Doctor but he was sick… Rose decided to stop thinking. Thinking just leads to more problems. More pain. She entered the room and glanced around. "Jack?" No answer. Worried now, she headed out of the room and searched the surrounding corridors and rooms. She checked Jack's room, the garden, the pool, the library, and anywhere else she could think off. She even went as far as to check hers and the Doctor's room. Frantically she started to hurry back to the control room to tell the Doctor.

She was just rounding the corner when she bumped into him. He gave her a puzzled look. "What are you doing?"

"Jack's gone. I mean… I can't find him!" She sobbed. "What if he's collapsed somewhere?"

The Doctor gave her a worried look. "He can't have been stupid enough togo outside..."

The realisation dawned and they ran back to the control room.

The door to the world outside was open.


	5. Who's The Big Bad Wolf Now

**A/N: **_Thanks to Toplesslemon (Jenny, Jeb, Jennifer, Hey You!) for bein the great friend she is, thanks to all you people who've left supportive comments, Eeveekitty85, Sands of Patience, Serpentira, YamiKITG, daffodilTARDIS, Kates Master, and Dolly.the.sheep. Your all fab and i luv ya (gives hug to everyone) Thanks to Sam for being the great Sam he is, putting up with my constant Doctor Who chatter. (its an obsession) To you all for giving me the encouragement i need. :P And also thanks to everyone who's read the story even if they haven't posted a review. I know i don't post back to all stories… guilty expression Hmm… I think its time for a disclaimer… i have the feeling if i leave it any longer i'll get sued. Im not paranoid! Which of my enemies told you that!_

**Disclaimer:** _(Ohh Fancy) Any and all trademarks of Doctor Who belong to the BBC, and although it is our greatest dream to own such a powerful organisation of scriptwriters and actors, Tough. Actually Im pretty sure my biggest dream is to save up and go to England and open a bookshop and bakery with Jen and have a pet ferret called Podo and a swingy chair. Hmm that'd be weird. I like England. You all have cool accents… Anyway back on track. Though it is my biggest doubt it would ever happen, suing me wouldn't have much point considering i own about 15 cents and a hairbrush. Oh and a candle called Tennant. And some other stuff which aint very interesting…. I do live in a house. But i don't own it and I don't own Doctor Who either. Ahh… Im a bit off the point. Anyway hope you like the chapter._

* * *

**There's a Time and A Place**

**Chapter Five – Who's The Big Bad Wolf Now?**

As Jack stumbled on, he wondered what had driven him outside the TARDIS. He thought back on the day's events, the pink, the pain, the kiss.

Yes that's right the kiss. Not that he didn't constantly encourage the two lovers too get together, and he didn't disapprove, so why was he bothered by it so much?

_Hmmmm. _He though as he trudged onward. After much thought, he discovered he was hurt. Hurt that they'd care more about their own love life then his well… life. He'd finally felt like he fitted in with these two, completely insane, people, maybe he'd overestimated his place among them. Oh well. He'd always done things on his own in the past; he was like the lone ranger. The One Amigo. The musketeer. _Gee. _He thought. _I really should stop letting Rose make me watch those movies. _

He'd never cared what someone else though of him so much, and was so engrossed in his own thoughts that he didn't notice the man in front of him till he nearly ran him over.

"Uh..." Jack said, giving the guy a quick look up and down, slightly intimidated by his height. "I come in peace?"

That was when he was knocked over the head by this stranger and carried away into the planets deep forest.

* * *

"I cant believe he'd be this STUPID!"

The Doctor was outraged. He stormed around the console room throwing things about. "You humans!"

"Hey!" Rose interrupted. "Don't judge a species by its idiot! Wait, Jack's not an idiot. He may have had a good reason for going out there like that. He's not in his right mind"

"Humans don't have a right mind," The Doctor grumbled.

"Oi, i heard that!" The Doctor almost had to smile. Humans, you got the bad ones, but sometimes you got the good ones. He grabbed Rose's hand and rushed out the TARDIS's doors.

"Whoa…. Did you get the coordinates wrong again Doctor" Rose's voice penetrated his surprise.

"No," he reassured, "We're on the same planet…. Just a different place. I think."

"You think? Gee, so glad i got you." Rose poked him. He watched her as she glanced around at the totally unfamiliar surroundings. "Well great and powerful Time Lord, tell me one thing. Are we in the same time?"

"Uhhh…" He murmured the time and date to her.

If anyone had been listening, they might've heard the loud sound of a slap echoing off a Time Lord's face.

* * *

When Jack awoke he had a splitting migraine and a funny feeling that he wasn't in Kansas anymore. Gee he REALLY better get Rose to stop showing him those movies. Provided he ever saw her again. _I've become pessimistic. Bugger._

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a door and several large and daunting looking men entering the room. Upon their discovery that he was awake, they promptly knocked him out again.

Had Jack been conscious to hear it, the TARDIS would've translated what they were saying to something a lot like, "Keep a look out for others. This one is undoubtedly not alone."

* * *

**A/N:** _Arrgh Sorry folks for the really short chapter, just wanted something to introduce the next few that are gonna follow. Please review :D_


	6. The Missing Crewmember, & Missing Friend

**There's a Time and a Place**

**Chapter Six – Their Missing Crew Member. Their Missing Friend.**

**By StealerOfDreams**

* * *

"Oh, Hello!" The Doctor said cheerfully to the tall men standing around them.

Rose was standing beside him, glaring at the Doctor and the large red mark she'd left on his face.

Once again, he'd got the time wrong, once again, putting them in mortal danger, and even more terrifying, Jack had run off into this world of barbarians, thinking that he'd be safe in the solitude.

Nothing was ever safe.

As if he was reading her mind, the Doctor said defensively, "I was only a few years out!"

Rose glared at him with the sudden urge to slap him again.

"A FEW years? You mean a few HUNDRED years!"

"Er… Same difference."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

He and Rose were bought before the leader. Well, The Doctor assumed he was the leader, sitting in his own special chair. The Doctor thought it looked mighty uncomfortable himself, crudely made of wood and scraps of metal, plastics, and other things that seemed to be scavenged.

"Isn't that uncomfortable?" He voiced aloud before he could stop himself. But the man wasn't listening to him. He was addressing the three men who had "escorted" them here as they had so kindly put as they shoved them along the path into the forest.

He could hear them muttering from his position on the opposite side of the room. So he gripped Rose's hand as a signal to stay quiet, and listened.

"They do not have the time sickness?" he heard one mutter.

"No, nothing like the man we found. They must not be connected to him." And with that the Doctor knew they had caught Jack.

"Big coincidence for them to come at the same time, I think they are."

"No, definitely not!" The others argued.

The Doctor saw this as the perfect distraction, with them all looking the other way and not having bound either him nor Rose, they snuck out of the building.

"Gee that was a bit easy wasn't it?" The Doctor asked Rose, who was at his side grinning. He'd spoken a bit too soon, as he suddenly heard a shout from behind him. So he enveloped Rose's hand in his own, and they ran, ran to find their missing crewmember. Ran to find their missing friend.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

His mind foggy with the drugs they'd been feeding him, Jack was in no position to escape. Every now and then he slipped into consciousness, then back out, but this was not one of those times. The drugs keeping him heavily sedated, so he didn't hear the commotion outside, didn't hear the dull thumps, nor hear the sounds of a sonic device working to open the door. But somehow, in his long gone mind, he knew they were coming.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Rose gaped. Nothing could have prepared her for seeing Jack in such a state. He was lying on his stomach, his face almost hidden, with his hair dishevelled, his clothes crumpled and torn from obvious handling. They must have carried him here Rose assumed. He wasn't in much a state when she last saw him, to get very far.

After taking all this in, she realised she couldn't hear him breathing. She rushed to his side, a small cry escaping her mouth. She tried to shake him, but he would not wake. His pulse was fading.

"Rose, move!" The doctor ran past, and dumped an entire bucket of water over Jacks head.

The sudden shock of the cold on his still alive body, started the breathing reaction again. Jack sat up gasping and coughing, then collapsing back down into a heap. Rose sighed with relief. At least he was alive. She reached down and embraced him.

"Jack."

"Rose…" He lay there, panting, like the effort of saying that one word had been to much for him. Rose helped him up, steadying him as he swayed. The Doctor put an arm around his shoulders and almost carried him along.

"Stop." A word penetrated the silence.

* * *

**A/N… Oooohhh …….. that's quite… boring actually. Sorry, im aware nothing happened in this chapter. Ill write the 7th one really soon in which some stuff will be revealed. Thanks for reading:) Please review.**

**Thanks Samwise and Jen ;) love you both**


	7. No Time but Now, So Say Your Goodbyes

**Disclaimer:**_In case Russell T. Davies ever decides to grace us with his presence, No, none of the characters The Doctor, Rose Tyler, Captain Jack, or the TARDIS mentioned in this story belong to me, and while I keep praying to God that one day he might decide to present me with this gift… Doctor Who neither belongs to me. Too bad I never believed in Father Christmas as a child._

**A/N:**_ Okay, I'm sorry. I'M SORRY! I know I haven't updated in forever… I've kinda lost interest in Doctor Who for the moment, moved onto Supernatural and this is like the 2nd night this semester I haven't had homework. Maybe I'm just lazy. So yeah, thanks for tuning in, sorry for the long wait... I have no idea what I'm going to write after this author's note… Last time I ever do a work in progress. But my other story, Take Me Away, probably wont be updated until 'There's a Time and a Place' is complete… I have a good idea regarding these two stories. I can't even remember what chapter I'm up too, geez. (Checks). According to I am now up to Chapter Seven... weird. _

_Plus big thanks to all you reviewers whom I adore and have kept waiting thus, I've been getting messages to continue the story :P so here you go._

_Hopefully you'll gain some understanding of what the HELL is happening in this story, I don't even pretend to know what's going on. Making this up as I go along… Yes I'm awful. (Shudders) Wow, I think someone just walked over my grave!_

_Anyway, no more waiting. Now on to the story, and forgive me if its incredibly sarcastic sounding, I cant help that. It's in my nature._

* * *

**There's a Time and a Place**

**Chapter Seven** – No Time but Now, So Say your Goodbyes & Hope for a Better Tomorrow

* * *

Through the haze that was his mind, Captain Jack Harkness decided he didn't like this man. Though it could be the continued effects of whatever they'd doped him up on, which if wasn't enough reason to dislike this man,

He was just in a hating mood.

If it wasn't enough that that large man invading his personal space had interrupted his supposed quiet retreat into the wilderness, now the two people he had been trying to get away from had to come rescue him. This was NOT good for his ego.

The annoying buzz of conversation coming between his saviours and their adversary filled his ears, and he had neither the energy nor the strength to ask them to stop their chatter that was steadily increasing his headache.

Was anything going to go right on this day? He doubted this, so he let himself slipped back into welcoming oblivion.

**XxxxX**

Rose swore she heard Jack muttering something about "fish" or "sitting on wet paint" before he passed out.

**XxxxX**

The Doctor was way too absorbed in his argument with the ugly man to notice much about Jack at all. He probably should have been paying attention, for Rose almost collapsed down with the full effort of keeping him upright when he stopped half-supporting his weight.

The Doctor was also in a hating mood. This was a bad week. Why couldn't holidays ever just be holidays? He helped Rose prop Jack up against the wall, then continued his argument. There were two things he had always been good at, and it was arguing. The other, of course, being saving the world.

So if he were good at saving the world, then he would be damn good at saving one miserable human's life.

"No? What is with all this negative energy?" The Doctor hoped to be able to escape this encounter with more or less no violence… He could not be held responsible for any damage resulting from his sonic screwdriver.

The man stared at the Doctor for a minute, and seemed to decide that he posed no immediate threat. He was probably safer answering any questions; he had seen the state of the guards on the way in…

He cleared his throat, and said in a guttural voice "I am Baeddan."

"Oh, yes, well, that's lovely. Thanks for that." The Doctor said cheerily. "Well, I'm the doctor, that's Rose, and the man you are drugging stupid is Captain Jack. By the way, isn't Baeddan Welsh for 'boar?' No offence, I don't suppose you even have boars here. Lots of Welsh popping up lately, isn't there Rose? We were just in Cardiff ourselves-"

"You cannot take him with you," Baeddan said slowly.

"It's rude to interrupt, you know." The doctor said, quite rudely himself. "But, while we are on the topic, why don't you tell me exactly why I cant take him?"

"You're … friend … he is unwell" He started

"Oh yeah, noticed that one thanks." The doctor retorted. "Bit hard to miss really, him being unconscious an' all."

"I don't think you understand."

"Oh yeah? I think I understand better then you think that I think I understand." The Doctor grinned at the man, who looked increasingly confused. "But, seeing as you don't think that I think that I understand, why don't you explain it too me, so that I do understand? Do you understand?"

"I…."

"Didn't think so. We'll just be going now, if you'll move out of the way thanks!" With that the Doctor turned around, helped Rose haul up unconscious boy, shoved the man out of the way and started to head back to the TARDIS.

"Don't know why I didn't do that to start with." He nodded to Rose.

"Because you have to do everything the hard way, because men have such big ego?" Rose said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, that's probably it. Yeah."

"Glad I've got you."

"No one better!" He said, pausing to give her a little peck on the cheek followed by a sly grin. "Who says time travel doesn't have its perks?"

"I wouldn't dare." Rose said, blushing in return.

**A/N:** _Thanks Jen, aka toplesslemon, for beta-ing, and who when was supplied with the sentence "he was just in a hating mood," replied, Ooo, He likes hats too?_

_I will update. SOON. But i wont promise, because last time i said that and i didnt update forever. Okay, this stories being a bit drawn out, but next chapter WILL have some answers and possible solutions. Seeya then._


	8. Everbody Knows I'm In Over My Head

**A/N:** _I'm amazed. I'm updating again. Special thanks to Kate's Master who reviewed despite her swollen fingers. I also dedicated the last short fiction I did to her. Also, hi Jen! I feel sick! It's about 3am, but this is generally the time of day I am the most awake and do my best writing. And also I love you reviewers. I'm so sorry that I don't have the time or the will to write faster. Thank you to everyone who's stuck to the story since the beginning. I hope this lives up to your expectations. Ads a few more mysteries but doesn't really explain a lot. And I'm still very annoyed to learn that "a lot" is two words and not one. And that "dunno" isn't in the standard Microsoft Word Australian dictionary. Big convos in this chapter… Hope it's not so bad._

* * *

**There's a Time and a Place  
****Chapter Eight** – Everyone Knows I'm in Over My Head

* * *

_If you marry me, would you bury me?  
__Would you carry me till the end? _

(And say goodbye) To the vows you take  
(So say goodbye) To the life you make  
(So say goodbye) To the heart you break  
And all the cyanide you drank

**DW**

"Not you again!" Rose sighed at the short man with the appearance of giving chase.

"I told you, you can't take him!" The man puffed, having SOMEHOW got in front of them. (But then again, he did know his way around while they appeared to be going in circles.)

"Yeah, but you didn't tell us why. And we're the sort to hold a grudge." The Doctor replied, slowly losing patience. Did I say slowly?

"If I tell you, will you leave him?" The Doctor appeared to think about it.

"Although my curiosity has gotten me into a lot of trouble in the past... No. But you can tell us anyway, out of the goodness of your heart. Or hearts. Or however many you have. Got two myself, 'nuff for the both of us, hey?" he grinned.

The man gave an exasperated sigh. "He's not going to survive, you know."

The Doctor glanced at Rose's infuriated glare, glad that he wasn't on the receiving end of it. This time. If looks could kill, then Rose was mentally picking out this guy's coffin.

"Not if you keep holding us up with your ridiculous chase!" She exploded. "Now be a good little toad, and shunt off!" The Doctor looked on with a kind of bemused expression. Oh, idea! He slowly started.

"Well, I think we better make him tell us what he knows first, Rose." Addressing the man, "You see Jack here? Well, he's got this odd to all illness that I've never seen before, and that's rare enough I will tell you, but you appear to know something about it. So, I think you better tell us. Because if you don't, I'll sic Rose on you!"

"Oi," she said.

"No offence."

"Oh, well that makes it so much bet-"

"I don't know about the sickness," the man rudely interrupted. The nerve of some people.

"What?" Both Rose and the Doctor gave him a strange look. "But you called it the time sickness."

He swallowed, and started again slowly, " That's what we were told last time-"

There was a chorus of "WHAT!" from the Doctor and Rose in unison. There was a lot of that happening lately.

"There have been others?"

"Yes… dozens… before him"

"Well, obviously! And what happened to them? What did you do!" The Doctor was angry.

"We don't do anything to them. All we do is give them something to - numb the pain, you might say. As to what happened to them…" he trailed off.

"What."

"The ones that weren't taken… They're gone."

"Gone?"

"Dead."

The Doctor and Rose stood in stunned silence, until a thought came to Rose.

"Wait, you said the ones that weren't taken. Some of them were taken? By who? Why?"

"That's our job. We were never quite sure why, but the people with the sickness always ended up here somehow. As I said, there have been dozens… but only a handful retrieved."

"Who?"

"We don't know. They come in ships…and they take some of them. Yeah, the people that get sick, they are always young men, sometimes women. Strong, fit looking people, well, they would be. But it's never the elderly or children. We were told a long time ago, that if we ever found someone with the right symptoms, most likely a stranger from a long way away or coming by ship, that we were to subdue them and send them a signal."

"And this signal, you've already sent it, alerting them about Jack?"

"Yes. Shortly after he was found."

"Bugger." Rose added.

"No, that's a good thing, Rose."

"It is?"

"They might have a - cure or whatever. I dunno, antiinflammatories? Whatever is used to treat this thing. If, it can be treated, that is." Rose raises her eyebrows, as if to say 'that-isnt-a-possibility-and-if-you-suggest-it-again-im-gonna-smack-you.' "Er... anyway, hey, you. You said they come in ships." He nodded. "What kind of ships? I'm guessing not the seafaring kind."

"Um, big ships?"

"Ah, funny. No, really, would you describe em as big metallic beasts with emblems on the side that look likes a caduceus – oh, you know, one of them staffs surrounded by two snakes... Used to represent medicine in most galaxies? No? Well, anyway, a caduceus, surrounded by a clock."

"Now that you mention it, yeah, does has some kind of symbol… Not so sure about the caddysous thing… but yeah. Why?"

"Oh, now that I mention it, of course. Dunno, it's just a hunch. I'll tell you another time. Unless I never see you, or if I forget. Anyway, we have to run, so we'll take a raincheck. Yeah? Seeya!"

And with that they made a break for it, dragging Jack behind them as they ran through the overgrowth.

**DW**

After they were a safe distance away from the man, who had tried to follow but had been eventually left behind.

"What was with the caduceus-clock symbol thing, Doctor?" Rose had been buzzing with curiosity since he bought it up.

He looked grim. "It's the symbol for the Time Agency, Rose."

**DW**

"Oh, well this is SO much better then being trapped with crazy boar guy." Rose stared around, trying to find something, anything, that looked vaguely familiar in the mass of trees and who-knows-what vegetation. "At least then the company was humanoid, if not rude," she muttered, shaking crawlies of her shoes. They were both still startled by what they had learned from the man, so they were just simply trying to ignore it.

"Humanoid? Hardly. There were billions of species around looking like that before you lot came 'round-"

"Yeah… yeah, idiot humans this, stupid humans that, blah blah woof woof… Something like that?"

"Yeah, pretty much. But I don't think you're stupid Rose," he said with a grin.

"Just my race, then?"

"Yeah, something like that."

"Thanks. Makes me feel much better. You'd make a great psychiatrist."

"What makes you think I'm not? I am a doctor after all."

"Oh yeah, I was wondering where that rush of suicides came from back in '98."

"Oh, Ha-ha. Because there are no other reasons for English people to commit suicide. Like, boredom for instance."

"Oi! There are… things to do in England."

"Like what?"

"Um…"

"I prove my point."

"You need to prove them now?"

"Nope. But it makes me feel better about myself."

"Who needs the psychiatrist now?"

"Wasn't I the one that needed one in the first place? But seriously, I think Jack is going to need a steady one when this is over. Not to mention you and me."

"Ha-ha."

"Just call me Doctor Chuckles."

"Doctor Chuckles?"

He frowned. "Or not."

"You seem more like one of the patients then the doctor anyway."

"Ouch. That hurts, Rose."

"Learnt it from the best"

"Last time I checked, I was the best. And I certainly didn't teach you that. Or has Jack gone up a page in your book?"

"Why do you just assume my book only has two pages? I did have a life before, you know. That is, till you blew up my job."

"I said I was sorry!" Deciding not to go further in this debate, he started walking in a seemingly random direction.

"Where to, Doctor Chuckles?"

"Don't call me that ever again."

"Sorry." She smirked, as she got a tighter grip on Jack's right arm. That seemed to get the Doctor out of some sort of daze, for his face suddenly seemed to brighten as he tromped through the vegetation.

"Well, first things first!" The Doctor exclaimed, almost bouncing through the greenery excitedly. Though how he could be, in their current predicament, was beyond her.

"Lets go get Jack all fixed up shall we? No use waiting round here."

"And how are we planning on doing that, exactly?"

"Isn't it obvious?" The disbelieving expression she was wearing yelled out a big 'no.'

"_Obvious_ly not. Well, first we're going to find the TARDIS. That way." He looked at her pointedly and inclined his head in the corresponding direction. "Shouldn't be too hard. Then we're going to do the only thing we can do at the moment. We're gonna take him to the Time Agency."

**DW (TBC)**

_And now you know what it's like to prove  
You can overcome anything that gets to you  
Well it's alright  
We're saying our goodbyes  
To the past and everything that ain't right  
We won't waste another day  
With all these silly things in our way_

_There's no giving up now._

Ahahaha! Ah…ha…that isn't funny. I'm starting the next chapter soon, so should be up in, I dunno… a few months? Nah, I'll be quicker. Well I'll try and be quicker. I know how the story is going to end… Only a few more chapters now, we're getting there, however slowly.

Please review; let me know what you think!

x Han

_The song at the beginning, although doesn't seem to mean much to this particular chapter, is _In The End _by _My Chemical Romance_. And the song at the end is _No Giving Up_ by _Crossfade. Might make more sense later.


	9. When You’re Older You Might Understand

**Disclaimer:** Hey, I still don't own Doctor Who or its one billion year legacy. I do, however, own 6 books in the hardback series. Hence the username.

**A/N:**_ If you hadn't already realised, you might notice that my story is mostly conversation and descriptive feelings. This story will most likely be wrapped up in two or three… or four chapters. There's a Jack/Doctor confrontation scene in this one… and some 9Rose… Rose and Jack will be chatting next chapter. Hope I don't disappoint. They seem OOC to me… but I wasn't sure how to get it across, otherwise. Have fun._

_**For Jenny, Emma, Soulless and Laced with fire. You rock, guys.**_

* * *

**There's a Time and a Place**

**Chapter Nine – **When You're Older You Might Understand

**_

* * *

_****_Previously:_**

"_Isn't it obvious?" The disbelieving expression she was wearing yelled out a big 'no.'  
"Obviously not. Well, first we're going to find the TARDIS. That way." He looked at her pointedly and inclined his head in the corresponding direction. "Shouldn't be too hard. Then we're going to do the only thing we can do at the moment. We're gonna take him to the Time Agency."_

* * *

_We have got through so much worse than this before, what's so different this time that you can't ignore? **– Snow Patrol, Make This Go On Forever.**_

**DW**

"Oh yeah," Said Rose, just a little bit sarcastically. "Why didn't we think of that before? Oh wait! I know! Because we don't know where it is!"  
She glanced at the Doctor's calm expression.  
"Do we?"  
"Nope."  
"Ah." Rose continued walking along in silence for a few minutes before breaking.  
"So, how are you planning on finding it?"  
"No idea!" He seemed cheery, as if he knew he was getting on Rose's nerves.  
"Ah."

Finding the TARDIS wasn't too difficult after that, and the two and a half man trio stumbled inside gratefully.  
"Honey, I'm home." The Doctor called out.

**DW**

Jack sat on the bed stiffly, partly from pain and partly because he was preparing himself mentally for the lecture he was sure was about to come.

But he wasn't expecting the Doctor's calm, collected reaction.

"You know, that was pretty stupid." He merely said, seemingly waiting for a response. Jack tried to keep the surprised expression off his face.

"I know."

A pause.

"You could be dead right now."

"I know."

Another silence followed, but it was more of a companionable silence than an awkward one.

"I'm sorry." Jack said slowly, and the Doctor was surprised, because he knew that the Captain wasn't someone who apologised at the drop of a hat. He was more surprised by what followed.

"Er, that's okay?" He said, unsure of how to respond in this situation.

"You see, the thing is, Doc," Jack began. "I'm dying." He said it calmly, more stating the facts more than asking a question. And was a tone of acceptance he heard?

"Maybe."

"There's no maybe, Doctor."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because I know what this is."

The Doctor was alarmed, and a bit angry. _So much for that calm reaction…_ Thought Jack.

"You knew?" He said, accusing. "Why didn't you say anything? Do you know how to treat-"

"I know." Jack interrupted. "I know what it is, I didn't say anything _because_ I know how to treat it."

"How?"

"You don't."

"You don't, or you can't?"

"Both, Doctor."

Silence.

"Have you always had this?"

"I _don't know_."

"Then how…"

"I'm only saying what I think, Doctor. I'm not completely sure about anything."

"Well, tell me what you _think_."

Jack laughed scornfully, "That's not something you really want me to do. Because if I did that, we might be here forever."

"We've got time."

"I don't."

**DW**

Rose entered the control room to find a solemn faced Doctor. To tell the truth, she was kind of sick of seeing him that way. It was the only way she saw him, lately.

She marched up beside him and wrapped her arms around him from behind. She was surprised, when instead of pulling away; he turned in her embrace and wrapped one arm around her waist in return.

"Wotcha," He grinned, and she blushed, suddenly finding the floor very interesting.

"Now, what's so interesting down there?" She looked up to meet his eye and smiled genuinely for the first time since they got back.

She sighed, and buried her face in the Doctor's jumper. When she looked up again, she saw him gazing at her intently.

"What do you see?" She said, slightly self-conscious.

"Just you." He said, wrapping his other arm around her. "Only you."

**DW**

"_Do you remember how I said I was from the fifty-first century, Doctor?"_

"_Of course."_

"_What do you know about it?"_

_The Doctor gave him a puzzled expression. "Not much, it's not one of the places I visit often. Or should I say, times." He paused, as if contemplating an answer. "Humans spread out across the galaxy, war and peace and trade and… dancing, with aliens." A slight smile played across his face. Jack returned it, but when the Doctor would later reflect on this moment and find it sardonic, rather than amused._

"_You see the thing is, _Doctor." _He drawled the word out. "By the fifty-first century, mankind has found the cure for the common cold." He paused. "Well, it's been theorised that THAT was found back in 2019 by some… Goddard, but it was never proven." He shrugged. "Anyway, moving on. People don't get sick anymore, Doctor. Any virus or disease that was around by, Rose's time I guess, has a cure, or a vaccine, or some kind of way to beat it. They found a way to encode these things into genetic sequences so that everyone remains healthy. There's no rubella, or meningococcal, or cancer. "_

"_So, why are you sick now?"_

_Jack grinned, genuinely this time. "Ah, that's the million dollar question, isn't it Doc? Haven't you figured out the answer, yet?"_

_A glare told him the answer to that question. So Jack leaned forward and said in a steady voice, "Because this isn't FROM the 51st century, Doctor. It's from sometime else."_

**DW**

"Doctor," Rose began. "My Doctor." He smiled at the title.

"Tell me what's going on."

He paused for a second.

"Okay."

**DW**

"_Are you saying you got this when you started travelling in the TARDIS? Because I've never seen anything like this before."_

_Jack shook his head, obviously amused._ "_Now Doc, you have to remember that I was time travelling a long time before I met you. But that's not the point."_

"_So make it." Jack laughed at the Doctors impatience._

"_Come on Doc, it's not like you don't have time to waste." He said with a grin. "It's not my fault you're getting slow in your old age."_

"_Who are you calling slow?"_

"_Oh, so you're not denying the old part." He laughed again._

"_I don't think it's funny."_ "_Oh, come on, it's a bit funny." But then he went sober again. "But you see, this isn't something I could have picked up on my travels either. None of the places I've lodged in have had this kind of advancements. Yeah, I've seen the printouts. Time allergy, some bull crap like that. And I think the reason for that is that, short of one of those fictional stasis chamber, I can't escape the source. Because time is everywhere. You should know that better than most, Doctor."_

_"Yeah," The Doctor smiled sadly. "Yeah, I know." __Then he turned serious again "Go on."_

_Jack looked him in the eyes for a minute, the Doctor guessed to see if he was being humoured or really listened to. He then continued, apparently satisfied with what he saw there._

"_So, Doc, what you need to think about, is _who_ has the ability to manufacture something like this? Who can make something that defies time and space, and **you **haven't seen before? So the new question is Doctor, how much do you know about the Time Agency?"_

**DW **

Jack sighed, he was sick of lying down. This really wasn't how he expected to go. He was Captain Jack Harkness! Conman extraordinaire… He was supposed to go down in a blaze of glory! Not… lying around _waiting_ for death.

But as he levered himself up to make his way down to the Doctor and Rose, he thought of seeing Rose blushing before when the Doctor made a suggestive comment. And he smiled slightly to himself, and he knew it was worth ten deaths to have met those two.

**DW**

"_Nothing." The Doctor answered truthfully._

"_I expected as much. If you did, you wouldn't be around for much longer. They don't tolerate people knowing about their, ah, organisation, If they aren't a part of it."_

"_They let you romp around, don't they?" Confused._

"_But they don't think I will be, for much longer, Doctor. Connect the dots." Jack said exasperatedly. _

_He was finally satisfied when he saw the Doctors face darken dourly._

"_Do you understand, Doctor?"_

"_Those bastards."_

"_I guess you do."_

**DW**

"I don't understand." Rose said with a baffled expression. "Why would they want to kill off their own agents?"

The Doctor explained slowly and carefully. "They don't, Rose. But you see Rose, Jack isn't one of their agents anymore. He went solo after the whole memory fiasco."

"But how would they know that that was going to happen?"

"I think they had a pretty good idea. But Rose, what Jack thinks is that they've done this on purpose. And it's been there for a long time, laying dormant."

She was still confused. "So what would have activated it?"

"Do you remember back to the beginning of all this mess, Rose? Do you remember the thing beneath the water?"

_Jack was there… Struggling against an invisible demon that seemed to be holding him to the bottom of the ocean floor. As the Doctor swam closer, he could see a faint glow around Jack, that seemed to be penetrating anything it could, his eyes, his ears, and his mouth._

"Yeah, of course. You're thinking that thing activated it?" She said slowly, her face was pale, washed free of colour by this time.

"That's what I suspect." And he started walking around the console, glancing at his screen and flicking a switch to turn it on, and fiddling with some things, kind of like trying to tune a television. "But I also suspect, that it was going to happen anyway. That this thing has just sped up the process."

Rose's eyes were wide, dawning with understanding. "So… He would be dying sooner or later, whether we'd been there of not." She said it stiffly, and the Doctor could tell she was angry. "But still, why would they _do _something like this?"

"Don't you see, Rose? It's a failsafe. It's a guarantee that Jack isn't going to go dibber dobber to their enemies. And I assume they put it in all their agents."

Her face turned into an expression of disgust. "So… If he'd hung around, they could have counteracted it. But if any one goes solo…"

The Doctor nodded. "They die not long after, by seemingly natural causes. And everyone is none the wiser to their little organisation."

**DW**

"_So, you see Doctor, short of ringing up the Time Agency and asking for a house call, there's nothing we can do. They'd just as easy as slit your throat and leave you for dead. The Time Agency isn't someone you want to dance with, Doctor."_

"_Oh, but I do. I really, really do."_

**DW**

Jack entered the control room and worked his way slowly towards the Doctor and Rose. He just caught the end of their conversation. The whole lot of good it did him.

"So how do we find them?" Rose was saying, and she seemed angry. God help the person she was angry at, Angry Rose terrified the hell out of him.

"Find who?" Jack said, looking pale and drawn to both of them.

Ignoring him, the Doctor answered Rose. "We don't"

"So what…?" He gestured to them both to follow him as he walked across to the doors.

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS, with Jack behind him, who visibly paled when he realised where they were.

"They find us." The Doctor said, grimly.

"You're early, Captain Jack Harkness," said an amused looking man surrounded by approximately seventeen positioned soldier with guns. "But welcome home."


	10. Bigger with Three

A/N: _OH MY SWEET LORD, IT'S AN UPDATE OF THERE'S A TIME AND A PLACE. Happy three year anniversary since the last update! I wrote the whole thing in the early hours of the morning, so it's no good. But thanks for caring. ENOUGH! ON WITH THE DWing!_

DW

There is blood everywhere, it covers everything, dyeing everything it touches an eternal red. This all-encompassing colour permeates his five senses and he drowns. He chokes on the coppery smell of death and decay, his ears full of the sounds or war.

His hands are stained with crimson. A battle made up of consequences that had once seemed so justified wages behind him. The nightmare never ends. His eyes are red and he tells himself that it is only a reflection of blood.

DW

Jack wakes up alone, in an unfamiliar room. The walls of the Time Agency seem all too close together, and he finds himself breathing heavily in the dim light of the room.

_This place brings back memories. Too many memories,_ Jack thinks to himself. His joints are stiff and pain flares up his body as he attempts to sit up. _Ouch. _A knock at the door surprises him, and he looks up as the Doctor enters the room.

'I thought I heard you moving around,' the Doctor says as he moves a chair closer to the bed and straddles it.

'I've been awake for a whole two seconds, so I find that unlikely.' Jack tilts his head and smiles tiredly.

'You're right,' teases the Doctor. 'But your tossing and turning was loud enough to hear from the next room, and I'm surprised Rose didn't wake up from your breathing—'

'Alright, alright.' The captain coughs into a fist while holding up his other hand to silence the Doctor. 'Humans are tiny, your ego is huge. I get it.'

'It's not that humans are--- hey.' The Doctor responds affrontedly.

'No, it's fine Doc, after all it goes so well with your enormous ear—'

'Okay, don't finish that if you want to live.' Growls the Doctor.

'Oh but what a sweet death it would be,' sighs Jack, only half joking. 'But what's the deal? They march us to a suite in the middle of the Agency before leaving us to our own devices?' He continues talking before the Doctor can comment on his melancholy tone of voice.

'I suppose they don't really expect us to go anywhere,' he frowns. 'They're using their knowledge of your plight to their advantage for the moment. It effectively keeps us here.'

'Keeps me here, you mean.' Jack groaned. 'Even though you may be extremely self-important, the Agency doesn't seem to care much that you dropped in for a house call. And don't say plight, Doc, it makes me sound like a poor kid in a famished country.'

'What do you want me to say, your almost ridiculously lethal intolerance for the passing of time?' the Doctor raises an eyebrow. 'But you're right, they seem to have completely overlooked mine and Rose's presence here. It almost hurts my feelings'

'Don't feel too bad, Doc. They never much cared for beings that they couldn't oppress or exert either control or influence over. They believe they're too big for that.'

'Really? That's a farfetched way to live. Who do they think they are, the Beatles?'

'Don't be stupid Doc, even in the 51st century, no one is bigger than the Beatles.'

'Oh? I'm glad the Beatles survive. I should tell Rose. She thinks they won't last another hundred years. 21st century youths. Pah.'

'You should take her back to see them.' Jack smirks. 'Get some appreciation for the arts.'

'Oh, don't think I haven't thought about it.' The Doctor sighs theatrically. 'But knowing her luck---'

'You'd probably end up being the ones who shot John Lennon,' laughs Jack. 'Or worse-'

'_The ones who introduced him to Yoko_,' they say with a collective groan.

Jack laughs again, so hard that tears almost come from his eyes. But the light mood is broken when he breaks into a fit of racking coughs, drawing the conversation short.

'Here,' the Doctor says. He hands him a glass of water, his demeanour completely serious within a second. 'And what do you mean, take her? We're not going without you.' He continues quietly.

'Ha, I don't know, Doctor.' There is no humour in Jack's voice. 'There are two ways that this situation can work its way out, and neither of them result in me going with you.'

'Just two, huh?'

'That's the way I see it.' Jack counts them off on his fingers. 'One, either there's nothing that can be done, in which case my body will get weaker and weaker until it can't defend itself from the increasing strain of accelerated chronon particles anymore, and let's face it, that's a high level of stress considering the amount of atron energy I'm saturated with—'

'I get it,' the Doctor interrupts brusquely . 'It's not an option.'

'---or;' Jack continues, ignoring the Doctor. He counts to the next finger. 'There is something that can be done. But I can't accept it.'

'Why not?' Yelled the Doctor, his eyes flashing as he stood up and the chair clattered to the floor. 'You don't want to live if it's at the cost of having the Agency help you? They have the answers! If not, they would have just left those people to die on that planet! Does your pride mean that much to you that you won't let them help you?!' The Doctor drops to his knees, a defeated expression on his face. ' That you won't let us help you?'

Jack reaches out and places his hand on the Doctor's shoulder.

'You don't understand.' He smiles sadly. 'I want to live more than anything.'

'Then why?'

'The Agency doesn't do anything for free, Doctor. They won't help anyone if they can't use the product to their advantage. Working here for so many years, the main thing I learned was that everything has a price to them. The only way that they would ever help me, and I'm sure that they could, is so that they could use me.

'That used to be okay with me, I thought that I was using the Agency, but it was actually the complete opposite.' Jack heaves a sigh, and looks up at the ceiling so that the Doctor might not notice the unnatural shine that in his eyes.

'And at the time it suited me just fine that the Agency thought they were the biggest thing to have ever existed, because by being a part of that I could fool myself into thinking that I was a big person as well, and that my actions were justified and that I could make a substantial difference to the tiny universe I lived in.'

'Oh Jack,' the Doctor said sorrowfully.

'But it's all a farce, Doctor. The actions that we undertook at the will of the Agency that once seemed good and right and just are the hollow whims of an authoritarian society.. And now that I've realised that, I don't want to go back.'

_And I won't go back. Because I've found something bigger._

DW

**  
**A/N: _OH MY GOD TOO MUCH DIALOGUE. I hate dialogue, by the way._ _Oh I'm sorry, were you expecting plot development? An end to the horrible cliffhanger I left you with for three miserable years? Well, sorry. Maybe next time. Will the Doctor talk Jack into accepting help? Is there any help even available? What happened between the end of the last chapter and the beginning of this one? And where is Rose anyway, who seems to be mysteriously absent. ALL WILL BE CONCLUDED! But hopefully it won't take another 3 years. Thanks for your never ending patience._


End file.
